The present invention relates to the automatic baling of insulation. In particular, the invention is an apparatus and method for automatically baling loose fill treated cellulose fiber insulation.
The use of manual balers to bale insulation has been known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,063 discloses a hydraulic bagging press where an operator must manually put on a preformed bag and take the bag off when full. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,063, insulation material is fed into a horizontal chamber and compressed by a piston into a bag. The manual baler, as described in this patent, and which the assignee of the present invention has been utilizing, requires two persons per machine. In contrast, the present invention requires only one person for two machines. This results in large savings in labor, while the production output per baler is maintained. There is also a savings in operating costs by using a continuous sheeting of material for forming bags as opposed to the preformed bags.
Machines that form, fill, and seal packages are also known. These machines use a continuous web of material or film to enclose a succession of spaced packages wherein the film is sealed along a longitudinal seam so as to form a continuous tube around the packages. Transverse seals are then made across the film. The transverse seals separate the individual packages. An example of this type of machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,532,753 and 4,999,974 which are both assigned to the same assignee. These patents disclose a vertical form, fill, and seal apparatus wherein the fill material is dropped into a formed tube and then sealed and cut. The present invention utilizes a horizontal bale tube surrounded by a baling material with a piston to compress fibrous material metered into the bale tube. The bale tube has doors to support the baling material during compression, and has an air escape valve to prevent the baling material from bursting during compression.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,722,168 and RE 30,010, there is disclosed a motor to help the dispensing of the continuous sheet of bale enclosing material or film. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,409, a method to expel excess air in the formed package is disclosed. The method utilizes a blase of air in a direction opposite that of package travel, to create a suction which draws the air out of and end of the package where a sealed seam is then made.
In the present invention, excess air is expelled during compression to prevent the bag from bursting. Air and particles are also drawn away from the seal to provide a clean surface for effective bonding or sealing.